On March 26, the plenary session of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026 was held in Boao, Hainan. Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, attended the conference and delivered a keynote address, while BFA Chairman Ban Ki-moon delivered the welcome remarks. Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova, and Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Jagath Wickramaratne each delivered addresses, while South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok delivered remarks by video, and Andrew Forrest, Executive Chairman and Founder of Fortescue (Australia), spoke on behalf of the business community. Also in attendance were Kazakhstan's First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar and more than 1,600 representatives from over 60 countries and regions, drawn from government, business, think tanks, and media; the heads of international organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; diplomatic envoys to China; and BFA Board Members, Senior Advisors, partners, and members. The plenary session was chaired by BFA Secretary-General Zhang Jun.
Opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026
On the afternoon of the 26th, the parallel session "Reinterpreting ESG: Corporate Responsibilities and Opportunities" at the BFA Annual Conference 2026 drew significant attention from attendees. The session was chaired by Zhu Xufeng, Dean of the School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University and Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development Goals of Tsinghua University (Tsinghua SDG Institute). Panelists included Sun Xuanzhong, founding Dean of the School of Business at China University of Political Science and Law and Standing Director of the China International Exchange Promotion Association; Bi Shunjie, Managing Partner for Greater China at EY; Tony Pusic, Senior Vice President of Regional Supply for the Asia-Pacific Region and Japan at AstraZeneca; Li Xiaofei, Vice President of China Datang Corporation; Zhai Jingli, Deputy CEO of Sinar Mas Group APP; and Gianni Di Giovanni, Chairman of Eni China.
Parallel session panelists (left to right): Zhu Xufeng, Li Xiaofei, Tony Pusic, Zhai Jingli, Gianni Di Giovanni, Bi Shunjie, Sun Xuanzhong
Professor Zhu Xufeng moderating the session
Prof. Zhu noted that against the backdrop of today's complex geopolitical landscape and economic cycles, businesses face considerable uncertainty, and integrating ESG into core corporate strategy has become a critical issue. He stressed that ESG is not merely a matter of corporate social responsibility, but "arguably a core value" for enterprises. In the current environment, companies that lack an ESG approach may face higher thresholds and greater difficulties in financing, investment, and going public. ESG, he said, is shifting from being an added cost to being an inherent requirement for corporate development.
Prof. Zhu observed that ESG is, in essence, about the reasonable distribution and sharing of corporate profits — striking a balance among the interests of the enterprise, its employees, and its investors; building coordinated relationships with upstream and downstream supply-chain partners; and sharing value with society at large. On implementation, he outlined a multi-pronged approach to embedding ESG: first, establishing unified norms through standard-setting at both national and industry levels; second, fostering an enabling environment by encouraging more companies to publish ESG reports and participate in the agenda; third, ensuring consistency of action, so that ESG principles run through the entire process of corporate operations, management, and value creation; and fourth, empowering enterprises through tools such as green finance to lower their cost of capital.
The theme of this year's Annual Conference is "Shaping a Shared Future: New Dynamics, New Opportunities, New Cooperation." In this rich discussion bringing together representatives and scholars from sectors including energy, pharmaceuticals, and paper manufacturing, the panelists offered diverse and substantive perspectives on ESG, converging on a firm shared conviction: ESG is what keeps companies vital and propels us together toward a better future.
The parallel session in progress
